


Descent Like Nightfall

by Pippin



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 18:57:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6251671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippin/pseuds/Pippin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens to the gods when there is no one left to believe in them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Descent Like Nightfall

_“His descent was like nightfall.” —Homer, The Iliad_

* * *

 

“What happens to the gods—to us—when there is no one left to believe in us?” Poseidon asked, crossing his arms and trying to hide his nervousness, although he was not entirely succeeding.

“They still tell our stories,” Zeus responded calmly.  “The humans have not yet forgotten.”

“There is a large divide between telling our stories and believing in us,” Athena reminded Zeus, face showing no signs of the disgust she felt in agreeing with Poseidon.  “If they do not believe, we are consigned to oblivion—we will fade, cease to exist.”

The assembled gods and goddesses murmured among themselves, panic evident in their faces and tones.  The idea of death was not foreign to them—they had watched so many die, powerless to intercede in the tumultuous course of human events—but death in relation to them was unknown.  Gods, while their people believed in them, remained immortal.  But the Greeks were gone. The Romans, who had believed after the Greeks and kept the gods alive, were gone.  There was no one left to believe.

“Even the shades of my kingdom have faded,” Hades added.  “Much like us, they remained only as long as they were needed—as long as they were remembered.  We have our own realms, yet we are losing even those, and our power over those realms.”

“This new god has overthrown us,” Apollo said, and it was testimony to how far they had fallen that the stubborn, cocky Apollo was the one to comment thus.  The light the sun god had always given off was greatly diminished, and his demeanor was much subdued.  “I hate to admit it, but it’s true.  There is no other way to look at our situation.  We have to resign ourselves to our inevitable demise.”

Hermes stepped forward.  “There is one other choice beside the void of oblivion, a rare happenstance that could save us.  It will take all our combined power, and it is far from ideal, but, at the same time, it is our only hope.

“Speak plain, with none of your word games,” Zeus commanded.

“We could be reborn as humans, our godly souls in an endless cycle of life, even as our corporeal forms expire.  We will be remembered among humankind, for we will walk among them.”

“You’re mad,” Poseidon retorted.

“Would you rather die, then?” Hermes demanded.  “I hardly expected that of you, Poseidon, who is so afraid to die.  But, if you wish to die, then so be it.  I intend to live on.”

In the end, many of the gods and goddesses, enough to supply the necessary power, sided with Hermes, including Poseidon.  As skeptical as they were, they were not going to pass up the chance to be reborn and escape death.  But the process did not go as smoothly as everyone had hoped.

It would be several hundred years before any of their souls would reawaken…

**Author's Note:**

> So, I sort of butchered Greek mythology, oops. Not entirely, but enough.
> 
> This was inspired by raiseaglassto-freedom on tumblr. They made some great Hamilton-mythology edits, and I'm using their assignments for the characters. Look into those; the edits are beautiful.
> 
> Also, this was way shorter than my chapters are going to be--it was just the prologue, setting up the later chapters.


End file.
